Colposcopy Specialist

What is colposcopy?

During your annual pelvic exam, your provider uses a speculum to hold open your vaginal walls. The speculum allows your provider to take a closer look at your cervix and vagina. A visual exam helps your provider determine whether your reproductive organs are healthy.

For most women, this brief visual exam is enough. But in some cases, your provider may suggest a colposcopy. You might receive a colposcopy if your Pap results were abnormal.

A colposcopy entails the use of a magnifying instrument to examine your body. Your doctor can complete this simple procedure at the Dunwoody OB/GYN, LLC, office. The colposcopy will usually be completed in about 10-20 minutes.

Why do I need a colposcopy?

Colposcopies allow your provider to examine your vaginal tissues. Your provider can then determine whether your vagina is infected or inflamed.

A colposcopy can also help diagnose many types of cancer and check for abnormal cells that may indicate cervical cancer. Colposcopies also allow your provider to check for genital warts or other lesions.

What happens during a colposcopy?

If you've had Pap smears in the past, the colposcopy procedure will seem familiar. First, your nurse at Dunwoody OB/GYN, LLC, will set you up in a comfortable and private room. You change into a gown and lie on the table with your feet in stirrups. 

Next, your doctor uses a speculum to hold open your vaginal walls. They then position a magnifying device close to your vagina. They might also swab your cervix and vagina with a unique solution.

Your doctor looks through the magnifying device to examine the inside of your vagina. If anything seems abnormal, your provider may take a biopsy.

During a biopsy, your provider removes a small piece of tissue. Dunwoody OB/GYN, LLC, then sends the tissue sample to a lab, where they test for the presence of cancer.

What happens if my results are abnormal?

If your colposcopy reveals a problem, you may need follow-up tests or treatment. Sometimes, colposcopies find the presence of abnormal cells. Untreated, these cells can sometimes develop into cervical cancer. 

Your provider might suggest a loop electrical excision procedure (LEEP) to remove any abnormal cells. This procedure takes about 10 minutes at Dunwoody OB/GYN, LLC.

If you need specialized treatment, your doctor guides you through this process and arranges for your follow-up care. He or she will provide the support you need to resolve your health concerns. The office staff will also help you to schedule your next routine pelvic exam. 

If you need a colposcopy or experienced an abnormal Pap smear, call Dunwoody OB/GYN, LLC, today or book an appointment online.